The Alps in September. 



Reuss valley at Wasen, and so getting easily to 

 the highest point of the great trench. 



The Alps have a beauty of their own in Sep- 

 tember, even when there are few flowers left, and 

 the snow has long disappeared in all the highest 

 pastures. This is the time when the second crop 

 of grass is cut ; and the mowing leaves a short 

 and beautiful mossy golden turf, which shines 

 brightly in the sun, and lies softly and smoothly 

 where a pine or a boulder casts its shadow on the 

 ground. The walk through the Gadmenthal up 

 to the Susten Pass was one to be remembered for 

 beauty, though not ornithologically productive. 

 The only curiosity that I saw was a Creeper 

 running up a house ; a very natural proceeding on 

 the part of the bird, where the houses are of 

 wood, containing abundance of insects in the 

 crannies. 1 The great curiosity of the valley, the 



1 They will often build their nests in holes in the timber of 

 the houses. Anderegg tells me that this was the case in his 

 own house two years ago. Nor is this the only instance of the 

 habits of birds being affected by the nature of the house- 

 architecture in these parts ; for the House-martins, being unable 

 (I suppose) to make their nests adhere securely against timber, 

 or disliking the large projecting eaves, build in the Haslithal 



